You are here

This year saw the return of the International Media Awards after a four year interval. The awards recognise journalists and editors who have made outstanding contributions towards fostering understanding in the Middle East and around the world.

Jean-Jacques Odier was the Secretary for the French speaking world for the International Communications Forum from its inception in 1991. He partnered the President Bernard Margueritte on many expeditions to set up ICF conferences. In the first years 28 international conferences took place on five continents. His life and interests covered a wide range. A close media colleague, an Englishman, living in Switzerland, Andrew Stallybrass writes as a friend of many years.

The tragic incident on London Bridge has given us all pause for thought. This broken world is unbelievably cruel at times. And why? If you are capable of violence do you resort to violence merely because you can?

Bernard Margueritte, President of the International Communications Forum, represented the ICF at this significant conference in Greece. Around 50 people from 15 countries from around the world took part in the conference, lay people as well members of the clergy.

The International Communications Forum was deeply saddened to hear the news of the heartbreaking atrocity in Nice. We wish to express our profound sympathy and total solidarity with the people of France.

It is with great sadness that the International Communications Forum has learnt of the shocking and brutal events in Beirut on Thursday night which left 43 dead and 200 seriously wounded and the subsequent events in Paris on Friday night that left 129 dead, 352 injured, 99 of whom are acutely injured. This threat to the freedom of the world by ISIS, an organisation whose ideology expresses hatred for the other, is deeply and profoundly saddening. We strongly condemn these horrific terror attacks.

Coverage of the International Communications Forum's annual conference in London by Levant TV, held on 9 May, with panels of prominent people from the BBC, US State Department, foreign correspondents and other international media personas and politicians from around the world.